Washing-machine



(No Model.)

E.1F'.BLA1\IK. I WASHING MACHINE.

No. 513,297. Patented Jan. 23, 1894'.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD FRANKLIN BLANK, OF POTTSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,297, dated January 23, 1894.

Application led September 6, 1893. Serial No. 48418381 (N0 mdh) To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD FRANKLIN BLANK, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pottsville, in the county of Schuylkill and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a means for rubbing clothes and of applying automatic pressure to the clothes when being rubbed in process of washin g upon the surface of an ordinary wash-board, and I attain my object in the manner hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device. Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view, and Figs. 4 and 5 are details of the rubbing-block.

Like characters of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

The rubbing block 5 having a corrugated surface for contact with the clothes which may be made of metal, rubber or any suitable substance, provided with the hand-hold 6, is

hinged near its center to the lower end of the,

lower portion of shaft 7 by means of the ring 8 passing through the end of the shaft and under cleats 9 attached to the upper fside of the rubbing block. The lower edges of the cleats 9 converge and form, with the inwardly inclined end cleats 10 10 a socket for the reception of the lower rounded end of shaft 7. The shaft 7 is composed of two portions; the lower portion 7a being preferably of wood of rectangular form; the upper portion 7b is a metallic strap in the form of a loop having its ends fastened by any suitable means as bythe rivet 11 to the upper end of the lower portion of the shaft 7. Within the upper portion of the strap 7b I supply the block 12 so that the strap 7 b will move freely over the block 12. The shaft 7 is attached to the standards-13 13 by the bolt 14 and nut 15 the bolt passing through block 12. Lateral movement of loop 7b is prevented by ears 13 on supports 13. Suitable washers 16 16 are provided for bearings for the bolt head and nut.

Within the loop 7b I provide the spiral spring 17 having its upper bearing against block 12 and its lower bearing against the upper end of the lower portion of the shaft. The block 12 being rigid it is plain the tension of the spiral spring 17 will be to press the shaft 7 and its attached rubbing block 5 downwardly. The standards 13 13 are rigidly fastened to the Wash-board by the cross bar 18 having the nut 19. By tightening up the nut 19 the standards 13 13 are brought into notches 2O 20 prepared for their reception in the sides of the wash-board.

In operation the clothes are placed upon the surface of the wash-board under the rubbing block water being supplied from a washtub or in any suitable manner; the rubbing block is then actuated, pressure being supplied b'y the spiral spring 17.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim- In a Washing machine in combination with a wash-board, a shaft supported at its upper end by standards held to the sides of the wash-board by a cross-bar and a rubbing block hinged near its center to the lower portion of the shaft by means of a ring passing through the end of the shaft and under cleats attached to the upper side of the rubbing block the lower edges of the cleats converging to form, with inwardly inclined end cleats, a socket for the reception of the lower rounded end of the shaft, as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereofIafX my signature in f presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD FRANKLIN BLANK.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR J. PILGRAM, G. A. BERNER. 

